


Correct Choices and Sacrifices

by RedlaSunShowers029



Category: Kuinaki Sentaku | No Regrets, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Ending, Angst, Apprentice!Armin, Comfort Vore, F/M, Fluff, Heartbeats, Inconsistency between Isabel and Farlan's appearance descriptions, Macro/Micro, Mentor!Farlan, Mentor/apprentice relationships, Mildly/Initially unwilling prey, Multi, Nigtmares, Other, Overworked!Farlan, Predator!Farlan, Predator!Levi, Prey!Armin, Prey!Farlan, Prey!Isabel, Slightly Softer!Levi, Soft Vore, Unorthodox Protection, Vore, all vore is clean, direct connection to acwnr (manga version), graphic mentions of dead bodies (first chapter), hesitant prey, mild distrust, safe vore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-09-18
Packaged: 2018-04-16 11:09:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4623120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedlaSunShowers029/pseuds/RedlaSunShowers029
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A bunch of interconnected voracious oneshots stuck together to make an alternate ending to A Choice With No Regrets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Trust Shards

**Author's Note:**

> While it's mainly vore-centric, bits and pieces of plot are scattered in between to explain how things go from story to story.

"You can't possibly be serious!" Rain poured down on the pair, the smaller of which looking up from the palm of her comrade's hand, her eyes wide with compete and utter horror. "B-Big Brother, that'd kill me! S-Surely you know that...?!" The look in her eyes was heart-wrenching, a true untrusting, terrified look that showed anything but assurance. Her voice was barely audible against the storm, though the message of which was enough. Oh, of all the things it had to come to... The man gritted his teeth, looking backdown on the shrunken form. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise..." 

Already, a sick feeling of resent and guilt was pitting itself inside him. To see her that frightened, to be that frightened of _him_ \- it was enough to make him shudder. No, he wasn't certain nothing would go wrong in the process, and the words she uttered did have truth in them: he could indeed hurt her quite easily in such a way, especially if it were in this way he'd have to keep her out of the hell slowly coming up from within the fog and rain, there was all too much time that could pass in that horrific extent of time, and if it wasn't safe... Her fate was one he acknowledged with a nausea unlike any other he'd experienced.

"How are ya gonna explain this, hmm?! Sure as hell like to know how _eating_ me isn't gonna hurt me!" Isabel spat the words with aggression, reaching down to her side and shakily drawing a blade in spite of herself. Yes, she wanted to believe more than anything that things could go on like normal, like they were before. In any other situation she trusted him with her life, believed in his choices with all her heart, but the suggested method of safety had crossed the line. As if it hadn't been bad enough getting shrunk thanks to that damned scientist's concoctions of some sort, something she allowed him to use on her once she ran out of gas and made it impossible to go on, and thus incapable of getting away quickly enough if Titans caught up too quickly. At the time, it hadn't been so bad- the minuscule height did seem to help a bit in that time, provided a sort of protection without a doubt... For a good while, it'd truly felt... Safe. But now?! She didn't have anything but shattered and broken assumptions, though she got the gist of it well enough- but being eaten alive in order for her to be "kept safe?" The very notion dripped and drizzles lies down every syllable. Of all things... It was too much to process. "This... This isn't like you. What happened?!"

Another sharper bit of emotional pain shot through him like a bullet- not only was she scared out of her wits, but her tone made it more than clear she was debating his sanity. Hell, he didn't blame her, though seeing her like that just made him regret even mentioning it. Even if it'd been the soldier's initial recommendation, he wasn't quite sure how much he even trusted their judgement. But he remembered the conversation rather clearly... That other night, after his other two slept soundly, he'd searched one more time for the documents in the middle of the night. They hadn't been around anywhere, though he'd run into that same crazy soldier from a day or so ago- Hanji, if he remembered correctly. Yes, they'd been up at the very same hour, finding him without much difficulty... Though thankfully, didn't seem like they wanted to try and pry any information out of him. Instead, he remembered seeing them reach into their pocket, and hand him two vials- hell, he hadn't foreseen the peppy soldier as anything but a nuisance, let alone a scientist. Annoying, perhaps, though at the moment he couldn't help but feel some gratitude towards them at the current moment in time. 

"If your comrades get into trouble, you can use those if you like. I've got a sense that something dreadful might occur tomorrow... If you're in need, that purple one's meant to shrink someone..." A finger pointed to the smaller of the vials. "And that one over there provides immunity for an object or person from- how do I say it?- an array of... Dangerous chemicals when ingested." He remembered thinking they'd been mad, though curiously asking in spite of himself what that meant. The calmness in their voice as he explained was shocking: at the time, the same horror met his steel irises thinking of that repulsive suggestion. Then, the words came back to him from what they'd replied, calming down a little at the memory. "I assure you, Levi, they've already been tested successfully. Nothing happened to the food devoured at all during those tests- and it shouldn't make a difference if it's a person, as it all gets categorized the same way by that process... Besides oxygen, of course. Now, that might be difficult to control, though these two chemicals do work together well and the second completely shuts down the digestive process of the stomach until regurgitated... It's not comfortable, mind you, though it's proven to be a pretty useful method. Surely, you'd take the risk if the lives of your companions were in danger?" And so, with that bit of advice taken into account, he'd ended up in this mess; how on earth would he explain it?! Better to do so soon, for each and every second only resulted in heightened anxiety forming in those emerald irises, the blade in one hand getting more and more tightly held in her fist. _Four-eyes, you damn better have given me the correct information about all this..._

"D-Don't make me hurt you...!" Those were normally words uttered by her only in a casual, more teasing tone back in the Underground, where such a thing could pass her lips to show no mercy and no fear during a fight. She'd indeed picked up quite a bit of his lethal nature, and wore it around like a trophy around her neck in a sense. But to ever utter those words, ones used for a foe opposed to friend... It gashed and tore at his heart on a completely different level than anything before. No, to hear those words come out of her mouth, with such fear and a brokenhearted sort of undertone, it was enough to shatter him almost entirely. As he attempted to speak up once more, it was all too apparent her fear was rubbing off on him in some ways, translating into rigid worry all too quickly.

"Isabel..." His voice cracked slightly, gulping back tears as best he could. "I know what you're thinking... And frankly, I don't blame you. But I'm wondering if you remember what I said earlier, about what I've heard from Hanji..." A shaky hand reached for the second vial from his jacket pocket, holding it up plainly so she could see the label around it. "It wasn't just the one that caused your current state they gave me, but this other one here... Which is supposedly intended to give me complete indigestion." Teeth formed into a grimace as he continued. "They've guaranteed both of these have been tested before, and it seems like they were onto something... After all, the first one worked, didn't it?" Silver eyes retracted their gaze, though a bit of relief filled the broken cavities of his mind to see that complete and utter fear slipping away into skeptical curiosity- at least he was getting somewhere. "I don't like the thought of this any more than you do, you know... Though I'm not sure what else we can do."

A small sneeze came from the micro resting in his hand: looking down, he could tell that the storm provided more of a risk than the simple obscurity of the skies it produced... A gentle finger ran over the green cloth of her cloak, silver eyes retaining one of the sincerest, affectionately worried expressions of his life. "Look at you- with this hell of a storm, you'll never make it... You're going to get hypothermia before we even make it an hour into this frigid nightmare. This ran will be the end of you if something isn't done, you see... Besides, I sense the sights beyond this shroud of fog are ones no one's eyes should be subjected to. I can hear them closing in on us bit by bit, and well... I'm afraid that, if that happens, I don't want to risk you falling out if they come too close. Hate to say it seems safer than leaving you out here... But if you feel it's too much, which I won't hold against you, I understand. It's your call if you're willing to try this."

The redhead's fears seemed to fade, curiosity shoving aside the painful emotion and replacing it with complete wonder. So... Something like that could be safe? Of all the crazy things she expected to hear in her life, this was one of the most insane, though his reasoning made it believable, his tone serving as evidence for his own reluctance. No, he didn't want to do something like that to her, and his expression and voice proved it quite well. Of course he didn't- it was physically and morally repulsive, and dangerous if anything snapped the bonds intended to keep anything from happening within. But with the weather outside, and monsters on the prowl? It was the polar opposition of safety out in the world as it was, enough so to, amazingly, make even the absurdity of he proposed fade away and make it almost sound safe indeed- but how? He was right, though; remaining outside in the cold wasn't going to do anything but allow her to freeze to death ever so slowly... It odd seem to be the only option with an existent chance of survival. Somewhat nervously, she looked up at him once more, pointing shakily at his chest. "Erm... If I say yes, do ya guarantee you'd do everythin' ya can to get me outta there alive?"

"Even if it means I have to cut myself to pieces to get you out," the man replied. "I have no intents by this other than to keep you out of the hell I'm sure you'll be forced to witness otherwise. But we can't stay here- they're getting closer every moment... I'm sorry, Isabel, I don't mean to rush you, though I need to know whether this is alright so we can try to get through this alive before the titans-"

"I'll do it!" There was more anxiety coursing through her words than anything he'd ever heard coming from her, though it still kept that determined refusal to die, that same courage as she'd always had. Even if they were shouted above the din with a heightened, nervous volume, they still echoed that same trust she'd always had in him. In a way, it was more sickening than seeing her seem so betrayed, for if something did happen... He shuddered at the thought. He wouldn't think of that now, wouldn't try to worry her any further than she already appeared to be, taking a small swallow of the liquid.

For a moment afterward, only silence between their words coated the air, alongside a sticky web of growls and snarls from savage titans far off in the distance. Yes, at the moment, they needed to hurry before they were found by this massive eyes and met their demise without a fight... "Just... Keep that blade near you in case something happens... Don't be afraid to use it if you have to." A gentle hand closed around her, bringing her a little closer. He'd never thought something like this, trusting the insanity and genius of the soldier who'd pestered him the other night would get him as far as he was now. He would never have predicted that something so seemingly inhumane and repulsive was the only way to make it out of the current dilemma with the slightest grasp on hope. He could already sense her anxiety fading even more, acquiescing to his small request- a big of reluctance came from, no doubt, the thought of stabbing him if some trouble arose within, but hopefully that wouldn't be necessary.

Even if his facial expression returned to his typical calm and emotion-concealing one, he could practically feel his heart palpitating out of his chest, swallowing back his own utter terror: it was a strange thing, how he could feel significantly more afraid of the situation than the one who'd have to endure the harsher portion of this little protective method. Perhaps it was simply a side effect of the blank space in the place for scientific and digestive system-related knowledge somewhere within his mental archives. No, he truly had no idea why or how any of this could work. 

Or even if it would work... Had the soldier been lying to him? He doubted they would, no- they didn't seem like the sort who'd meddle with and toy with the lives of another... Besides, from what he'd seen the soldier did seem to have a certain fondness for the redhead sitting only a few inches from his lips in the palm of his hand. What choice did he have but to trust them?  
Looking down once again, a small, pained smile found its way across his lips, that same often-hidden fondness showing once again in the glint of silver eyes. "Don't look..." The smile faded, removing her hood to ruffle her hair with a finger, before carefully slipping her over his teeth and onto an outstretched tongue, accepting her, and shutting her carefully into darkness.

There was that disturbing moment, trying to resist the reflexive urge to chew his little comrade to pieces. No, he refused to do so; she was a person after all, one he loved from the bottom of his heart, and not a mere scrap of food to pay no heed to. However, if chewing was hard to avoid doing reflexively, it was even harder to keep a small, dreadful truth concealed... How sickeningly unfortunate she had to possess such a potent, wonderful taste unlike any other- like a mixture of caramelized cherries and strawberries almost... Much as he tried to control it, he couldn't help but drool a bit... Only to shudder that such thoughts momentarily corrupted him, snapping to the reality of the situation once more. _What the hell is wrong with me?! I can't be thinking like this...! Besides, it's probably pretty uncomfortable for her..._

Almost the opposite. It was a strange thing, really- while the slime was a bit uncomfortable, especially with the extent of drool slathering her thickly from head to toe... it was otherwise alright. Warm, steady breaths blew over her gently, hitched in places from the mental/emotions strain of the current situation, his typically hidden anxiety all too obvious now. The soft, slippery surface of the tongue kept still as much as possible, though occasionally shifted upwards with the resisted urge to swallow. A couple small licks ran along her face and back for a moment or two, reflexively tasting in spite of Levi's intent... It only slicked her up in the watery saliva, surely meaning they could get over with it more easily. A sole blade was held in one hand (at the last second she'd decided to take off her gear last second as not to make the situation any harder on him), the only weapon she had, kept tucked away closely to her chest in hopes of avoiding any stabs unless needed for her survival. But already, she began to feel as though her original thoughts on the surroundings she'd allowed him to place her in weren't as bad as she'd initially thought, as if she wouldn't need it... At the very least, it was warm, and indeed safe from the roaring storm outside.

Cautiously, the man took one look back at the surroundings, feeling the presence of those horrible beasts creeping up gradually. _Ugh... Better to get her down safety before they come out and decide to strike..._ Hands fiddled for the serum once more, taking a small sip to wash down his comrade. In truth, it was one of the most foul things he'd ever had to experience. He could feel her shrunken form catch in the currents, gulped down all too easily with the foul-tasting liquid pulling her in the right direction. His head tilted back to allow her passage, shuddering with the thought. A small bulge formed just above his cravat, feeling the redhead slowly slip down into his throat, not struggling to get out of the tight grasp of strong muscles one little bit. It was both relieving and horrifying all the same, but either way it showed one thing: she trusted him with all her little heart indeed. It was the type of trust he never wanted to break, and never wanted to betray, silently praying the serums had indeed been tested... But in either case, he refused to let her die regardless. _I'll protect you, little sis... I won't break that promise, I swear it to you._ Trying not to worry too much, he gave a quick snap to the reigns, riding off away from imminent danger.

The splash of liquid was a bit of a shock perhaps, not the most comfortable thing to have running down her sleeves- but with all the saliva already soaking her head to two, it was just another liquid at this point. It wasn't long until the redhead felt herself slipping backwards alongside the tidal wave of serum. Holding her breath, grip loosened on the tongue beneath her and allowing it to carry her backwards. Isabel cringed some as the slick muscles caught hold of her ankles, pulling her into the throat's greedy grasp. The temperature continued to increase around her the further she was forced down, the grasp tightening somewhat uncomfortably around her tiny form, claiming her waist, shoulders, neck... Not much time passed until finally her auburn hair followed, plastered down on her face with a final _gulp_. The constricting hug of the muscular throat guided her in the reluctantly willing journey, passing the thumping, pulsing cry of his abnormally quickened heart, proving that any attempts to hide his fear were simple lies- not as though she wasn't used to it by then. Soon, she could feel the muscles release their tight hug, slipping only a few millimeters before the fleshy tunnel deposited her into Levi's cavernous stomach with a small splash. Curious, apprehensive eyes scanned the surroundings for any clues on the general "environment" she'd have to put up with...

Pitch black. Not a single bit of light got through within, removing the option of sight to figure out just exactly where she'd reluctantly agreed to stay. The surface was surprisingly plush despite the acid and mucus covering them, dripping down every so often, chemicals harmless thanks to the effects of the serum she'd been downed with. Every so often, there'd be a vibration or two from the various noises within, indicating nothing but her location. It was still obvious in some ways the general function it took on when not compromised by the conditions needed for her survival, though not in a way that sent violent shudders too far down her spine. Yes it was normally a place meals met their ends, but it was all too obvious by how the whole process was being handled not even the slick stomach walls thought of her as a mere morsel... And of course he wouldn't. 

It was hard to hear anything outside. There were no sounds making it into the little cavern of a stomach now but the faint patter of rain, the far-off sound of roaring thunder, crashing lightning... They were all there somewhere, but within the small space she'd been forced to take refuge, they sounded anything but menacing, separated by them too significantly to truly feel afraid of them. The only sounds she could quite recognize were the ones in her immediate surroundings: nauseated gurgles and groans from the former thug's stomach adjusting to mild discomfort from the serum; the mostly calm inhale and exhale; small gulps of air sent down to her in order to keep her alive; but most of all that deep, almost lulling pounding of his massive heartbeat, retaining a normal beat against the one from earlier. In a way it was like a promise: as long as she could hear the thump and feel his pulse in the depths she was in, how could she ever think anything would hurt her? _I've just gotta keep that in my auditory range... Then I should be alright. Big Brother won't let anything happen..._

From outside she could feel a bit of pressure, walls concaving in for smothering yet gentle rubs. "You alright in there...?" Levi's voice echoed along the slick walls tremendously, his tone teeming with compassionate worry. From the sound of it he knew she was safe, and yet continued to feel that spike of anxiety and mild fears regarding anything to break the strangeness of the refuge thereof. It was indeed strange, to think something so hellish, something so brutal and insensitive to its contents could form a place to hide from the outer world... What was it? The serum was working in ways neither of them could ever imagine. But from what she knew of the situation outside, chances were it'd be some time before she'd be coughed up... _Might as well make myself comfortable..._ It was easier done than said, surprisingly- thinking such a thing astonished even herself, but with everything so soft and plush it was hard not to relax a bit into it. Maybe it wasn't as bad as she'd expected after all...

A small rope of worry ensnared the thug's mind when the response wasn't instant. He assumed it was safe, as there was no yelp or shriek of pain coming from his belly, though he doubted he'd be able to rest easy until he got a definite answer. All the while he could feel every little movement, every little tap or light press on the walls... A strange feeling, but not an entirely unwelcome one. From what he could tell she was impressively calm... A normal person would've resisted with all their might, tried to give their "captor" the biggest stomachache they could manage, but for her? It seemed unconditional trust could make a person refrain from a million things, and all it took was a small explanation to soothe her nerves. Then, finally, it seemed he got a response, ears straining over the rain and clopping hooves to hear: "I'm fine, brother. Nothin's tryna get at me in here." 

Anxiety escaped his mind, giving a small sigh with his hopes confirmed. "That's a relief." His tone let off little emotion obvious to the ears, a hard endoskeleton of seeming indifference hiding the gushing near-panic he'd felt a few moments before. However, it still felt strange and a little unnerving with the knowledge there was a living, breathing person so deep within, someone who meant the world to him, feeling each and every movement, acknowledging every breath, every speck of emotion... Better not to think about that now. She was safe after all, and he had other things to think about regarding the beasts persistently growing nearer and nearer: safe as it was at the moment, if anything happened to himself, then she'd go down right with him... Shuddering, he shook off the thought, attempting to look out above the roaring wind and screaming storm in hopes of spotting any titans in the area. "If anything goes wrong, tell me immediately, and I'll do everything I can to get you out safely. Just try to stay calm, and I'll do the rest." A harsh roar rose up into the air from a fog-concealed Titan somewhere in the forest; something even Isabel could hear in her location.

Eventually, he reached a clearing, revealing a spectrum of bloodshed and terror. Hands impulsively jerked for the reigns, cringing slightly at the sight before him. Distant enough from it perhaps, and nowhere he could help, but even from his place concealed in the fog and mist he could tell what was going on. Titans had found the soldiers and left them bloody and broken, had they? It was enough to make his eyes wide with utter horror, disgusted by the way they ripped and tore humans apart like mere morsels, attacking in the most inhumane of ways. It was enough to make him a bit queasy remembering the location of his redheaded comrade- but of course, it wasn't like that, was it? _Damn, it better not have felt that awful..._ Slowly he crept forward on horseback, praying they wouldn't show any interest. And so he continued on, more than slightly alert of the small bit of motion within: 

Shuddering, shaking. 

Looking down at the small blade in her hand, gripping the handle nervously at the sound of the shrieks of agonized dying soldiers. Yes, he'd been right- there were indeed some horrific things going on outside. Just by the hollers, moans, and the bloodthirsty roars of titans somewhere outside the little cell of flesh, it was all too obvious: something had indeed gone wrong due to the hideous weather. But what? From the sound of it, an entire squad of soldiers was meeting its end to the foul nude beasts that so haunted the existence of humanity. 

Silver eyes traced invisible lines across the battlefield, looking on at the red stains painting the trampled grass in blood. Everything around... Sheer annihilation. A soldier's arm lay motionless in the crimson spatters. That could've been her. The widened eyes, the agape mouth of a fallen victim to the complete and utter desolation. It could've been her fate. The merciless fist crushing a comrade to a bloody pulp. She could've been there. All of the carnage around him only reminded and awakened him to the toil that soldiers had to go through each and every day: so this was what the Surface felt like? Of all things... And to think the Underground had felt as bad, though in a way it was all the same with its pain and suffering. But at least the lives of those soldiers would be remembered and valued by any of their surviving companions, instead of rotting away into a mere skeleton down in the depths of living hell. In this case, it was, however, likely no one would remember the names of such trampled flowers.

Though with every gallop of the horse, he could feel a small bit of movement somewhere deep inside his chest, calm movement, something not so dreadful as the shattered bodies occurring to one he cared about so dearly... Words couldn't begin to paint a picture of his relief and yet that same rigid anxiety slashed against the canvas of his mind. _This was the right choice, then..._ A mental note was made to thank the scientists the first chance he got.

He could feel a small tapping at the walls of his stomach. "How is it out there, Big Brother?" Just being able to hear her voice from within, only spiked with a small bit of her anxiety that she'd been gulped down with... It was enough to calm his state of mind enough with the acknowledgement. Yes, she was safe from the gnashing teeth and crushing hands, and nothing was going to change that, despite the horror spectacle surrounding him.

"Living hell. The things going on around this field are unfit for even eyes that have seen as much suffering and anguish as yours- hell, no person should ever have to witness this." Another roar, a shriek, another hand bloodied with the crimson spatters from a mercilessly demolished victim, another unneeded meal for the gigantic beast. Yes, the titans were getting worse and worse, silver eyes tentatively trying to keep a squinted lookout, attempting to avert his eyes from the bloodshed all around in copious crimson drips and drizzles. Teeth were stained red, claw-like hands slathered in gore, and yet somehow they were making it despite all this. The demoniac giants seemed less interested in him than the other amounts of soldiers surrounding, and so allowed him to pass. 

"Not even the Underground had as repulsive a sight of blood and guts... I'm glad you're not in a position to which your eyes have to take this all in yet," Levi mumbled, taking one hand off the reigns to give his stomach a reassuring rub. And then, more quietly to himself: "Good god, hasn't a person been left to live?!" There was nothing he could do at this point- the giants had made a massive killing, leaving nothing but a heap of broken bones and chewed-up limbs in the red painting and monstrous downpour. Another twinge of sickening dread filled him after the relief from his younger comrade's security: Farlan had been separated from them somehow- with the sheeting rain blocking out nearly all cries and visually overpowering blanket of fog, it wasn't hard to lose their way... But had he been one of the victims to the merciless macro menaces, or had he somehow gotten by...? Some victims he recognized as he rode past: the blonde hair of Flagon, unkempt and stained with the same rust red; the pale gray eyes of Sayram, open and drained off all life... But still no sign of the strategist he'd come to love over time, which made it possible that he'd made it out... But with the rain continuing to pelt them, how would he see enough to get through?

"Levi!" Not a moment after his thoughts had found their way to the surface of his mind, he whipped around at the sound of his name to find the very soldier in question on his steed: completely soaked through just as he and Isabel were from the showers (her in more than rain), he looked alright aside from a bruise on his cheek, mud spattering his pants and boots from the grime beneath him. It was a relief to see him, his worries diminishing from his brain... Though why did he have that face on, one of complete and utter horror? It was just how he was wired, no doubt; calm and level-headed as he was, he was practically an open book when it came to emotions like fear and mild anxiety. And with the day they'd been having? He frankly couldn't blame him.

"Good- you made it," Levi mumbled, allowing scrapes of fading nervousness and diminishing worries to slide past into the drizzling weather surrounding them. Once again, it was a bit too obvious to only the blonde in front of him what was truly on his mind- both he and Isabel adjusted quickly to the veil of false indifference he wore, and knew how to tug it off to reveal what he was hiding. "I thought they might've gotten you..." A hand gestured to the bloodbath behind them, azure eyes, impossibly, widening. "Good lord! All that carnage in the span of an hour's time?!" Teeth formed into a grimace, uttering the very question Levi expected yet wasn't quite prepared to answer: "And Isabel...?"

The man absently placed a hand on his stomach. "Alive, closer than you think. I'll have to explain it when we reach safety though- it's... Complicated." The expressions he wore was one of complete and utter disgust, though let on no serious terror of any sort, not any that even Farlan could pick up. "I don't want to leave you on your own, not after this... What do you say we go find out if Erwin made it? We just might be able to steal those documents from him if he has..." Even as he said it, the idea of taking the papers from him seemed far less significant than ever before, feeling as though he had no stomach for murdering the commander... It was an odd feeling. It wasn't rare to have to kill to survive back in the Underground, even people on the unfortunate needed occasion, so why now? It was survival, and yet it felt wrong somehow after the slaughter passed. Why? The answer remained a perilously hanging question.

They made some distance before the question came up once more, making his stomach twist a second time at its reception: "How are you certain she's alive, exactly?" A curious eyebrow raised with the inquiry. "I do trust your judgement, but it doesn't seem like she's anywhere in sight- is she trailing behind somewhere I can't see?" A slightly guilty look met the blonde. 

"I promise you, she's alright." He could the redhead give a small stretch within his stomach, followed by a tired sigh. Another oxygen-heavy gulp met her a second after. "It's too risky to give you a full account out here, though- right now we should focus on getting out of this mess." Frankly, he didn't want to explain the situation the horrid events had placed them into, but he knew it'd be necessary sooner or later. Better to try to regroup with any possible survivors and explain it in a safer spot than divert focus on the path ahead of them, surely... _Just how **am** I supposed to explain this...?!_

He could feel a small bit of rubbing inside, somewhat surprised by the light massage within. It was perhaps a little morally unnerving, but calming in its own way: with each firm yet gentle press or stroke, the further she allowed herself to sink into the downy tissue and flesh, it simply gave a gentle reminder of her current situation. _She can't be that calm and quiet if she's in any sort of danger, now, can she? Maybe I should stop worrying..._ It felt so natural to fear for her safety like he'd done for years on end- since he'd taken her in, if you will- as the Underground provided little refuge for a blossoming young woman like herself. And now, with the titans about, it felt even more natural after the sight of the massacre to allow that safety-conscious nature to creep up once again. He shouldn't let it take advantage of him even so: if he was lucky, no one would take away her light anytime soon. She was indeed safe, and that was what mattered. But her? Relaxed? In a place like that? It was something he'd never seen before, strange but not entirely unwelcome. Though things changed the moment he felt her almost curling up, and comfort rose along with apparent confusion. _Now, what exactly is she doing in there...? Is she actually trying to fall asleep?!_

Never did a prediction hit so on point. Even despite her location, it was hard to keep her eyes open. The blade had long been considered useful in the current surroundings, figuring out quickly they posed no threat to her. It was hard to be afraid now, with that gentle, sentient heartbeat making up the mass majority of the current audio, every now and then being able to hear the low, assertive rumble of his voice echoing around her, never too loud for her tiny ears. The gurgles and groans had died away into silence, acid no longer sloshing so defiantly, allowing the serum to keep it from harming her. Without anything to fear, with physical nor mental pain joining her in the pit, how could she feel scared? Hell, if Isabel was honest, something about being spat out worries her more; for then she'd be back to experience whatever hell was outside, no doubt. They were both alive, her two comrades, from what she'd barely heard outside, taking another bit of anxiety off her shoulders. It didn't take long to sink into the steady pulse, the gentle, non-malicious light churning rocking her side to side, the soft, squishy lining of his belly. Somehow, everything seemed like plush and comfort... Sighing, she took a moment to situate herself, gradually falling into the slippery stomach walls and dozing off more than peacefully. 

Yes, she'd indeed gotten comfortable enough to conk out somehow- just by the quieter, less strained breathing and surprisingly loud snoring, something he'd grown accustomed to over the years, he could tell. It was unbelievably strange that the trust residing within someone even as loyal and brave as her could be so great. Perhaps that much only burdened him with more responsibility, though in a way he was glad she'd practically made herself at home in the warmth and shelter he could provide. It was better than her having to continue to question and fret about whatever horrific encounters they got into... Knowing better than to wake her, he gave his gut one small, careful pat, and continued onward with his comrade, towards whatever refuge they could find for themselves.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So you made it back after all, did you?" 

Even if it was somewhat unexpected, seeing the scientist relieved the former thug, grateful to see their face again for the help they'd provided. A small sigh escaped their lips, smile fading at the realization of the redhead's absence. "Isabel's not with you? Did something-" A completely and utterly squicked expression met her inquiry, taking but a moment to dismount. The location was safe enough, now back in the formation and at another base, to give a decent explanation- one he knew Farlan was dying for. It would be easier if they knew as well to help him explain, surely, though he hoped it wouldn't disturb his comrade too much. A hand reached into his pocket, taking out the girl's shrunken gear from its place: the first piece of evidence from what had happened. For a moment, he stood with the same expression, gear in his right hand, unmoving or giving off any clues. Then finally, with a small shudder, he carefully pressed his left forefinger to his chest. Withdrawing another breath silently in exhaustion, he mumbled the confirmation of their thoughts in that same seeming monotone lined with utter revulsion:   
"She's in there." 

"LEVI...?!" No words could quite pinpoint the nearly comical look of horror on the blonde's face, nor the stunned satisfaction of the brunette. "You used those serums I gave you...?! I thought you said you would dream of it." The dark-haired man reached into his second pocket and returned the empty vials to them. "I never wanted to- it was a last resort. Her gear became dysfunctional and I didn't want to leave her out in this without a way to effectively defend herself. Keeping her in my pocket helped for a little while, until this damned weather took its toll on her, and I had little choice otherwise, between the risk of titan attacks and hypothermia." The alarmed look on Farlan's face lessened, though still refused to fade even at this explanation.

"And she's alive in there?" The excitement was apparent, though obeying the commend of a much calmer tone. Even for someone so rapturously scientific, they knew better than to bombard him with questions right off the bat. A couple would do for now- there was time for that later on. They longed to understand what had happened between the two of them, what it felt like to have a person inside, the experiences had _by_ the person inside... But there was a time and place for all that later, keeping a more professional aura around themselves. "Judging by your demeanor, I'm assuming she's not dead, or there would be more to this story than what you've disclosed."

"She's alright, simply exhausted," Levi sighed. "In either case it damned well saved her life- did you see the bloodshed further behind us?! Barely a soul left to live aside from us, aside Erwin and a couple of survivors in his formation. I owe you one." By now, the thoughts on killing him completely slipped the former thug's mind. It had been hell getting there even still, and all for nothing. The attempt to kill was too risky to execute with the redhead snuggled up inside anyways, though the commander knew why they were there and tossed the documents to the ground. It'd all been for nothing. The papers were a hoax. From every word the commander tossed out, he made it clear. They'd gotten their taste of true danger then, what it felt like to be at the absolute mercy of the beasts even if they hadn't fallen. But even still, why would they return to the hell underneath the surface? When given the option to leave with empty hands, neither budged. Such a hell as the Underground would never be their residence ever again. 

Eyes focused on the inquisitive scientist. "If you help me explain all this, I'll answer any questions you've got for me..."


	2. Nightmares and Comfort From Them

Thunder took new pitches of sound in its vicious roar, lightning forming in whips across the blackened sky. It appeared that even despite all they'd been through, even the skies wouldn't give them enough of a respite to settle down and relax. They'd only escaped the Titans by sheer luck, and even if the dreadful rain hadn't resulted in their end, their minds would always hold the memories of heavy rain bringing a slew of horrendous images and sounds. Even back within the refuge of the walls, it was difficult for the newer recruits to find any comfort in the fuss the sky was making...

A roar of thunder finally got through to Isabel, jolting her small form awake. Perhaps it wasn't quite the same feeling as the day those dreadful roars erupted from the sky alongside the crackling thunder, though it still felt one of the same, that same feeling that was impossible to sleep through due to the pain it bore into her flesh. It didn't help that they tended to separate by genders in the cabins in the training corps, though now, in the refuge of one of the castles without any supervision over who slept where, she had more freedom to find the help she needed; directly next to her, in fact.

His sleep was, clearly, less than peaceful, watching from her sleep-blurred vision as his eyelids twitched with each and every breath he withdrew. A grimace, one seemingly mangled with emotional pain, twisted its way up to the corners of his cheeks, only painting a better picture of what he could've been thinking of. It wasn't as if she blamed in him the slightest, though- while she'd been tucked away safe and sound, from what she understood he'd witnessed a chunk of the massacre at hand... His visions would be more clear than hers, no doubt. But was it the best idea to wake him? She didn't think too hard on it, really, lightly shoving the man's arm until he finally seemed to follow the same wakeup pattern as her, jolting awake with the aid of the savage storms somewhere further away. "Psst- Farlan."

"Hrmm?" The man pushed aside a couple stray locks of cream-colored hair, sitting up just enough to see the slight unease reflecting in bright cerulean hues. If it'd been anyone else, he'd probably be more than slightly annoyed by this, and yet... The redhead did have a charm of her own that was difficult to deny. "Did you have another bad dream or something?" It was obvious what had happened; and yet, still best to make sure.

"Kinda, I guess. It was more like voices than images, though... Ya didn't seem like ya'd been having the best dreams, either," Isabel replied, beginning to feel the effects of the dream wear off already. There was truly something strange about it, how just being by someone she adored and trusted could make it all the easier to cope. Even if Farlan wasn't the strongest of the group mentally, he still stood his ground well enough and proved himself more than a great ally but a friend as well, if not something more...

"Perhaps not, but that's beside the point," Farlan yawned, rubbing the sleep out of his amber eyes. "What kinds of voices were interrupting your sleep?" It was late at night, sure, but he was already awake so it was worth hearing out in any case. The 'nightmares' had become more and more prominent since that fateful night, one they'd barely made it through alive...

"More like... Screaming I suppose than voices..." A finger twirled at a couple loose strands of hair, nervousness surprisingly prominent for the redhead's typical determined nature. It wasn't all that long until she could feel the presence of a pair of arms wrapping around her, holding her close. A tired head nuzzled against the man's arm, an ear lightly pressing up against his chest to hear that compassionate heartbeat once more, to know he was there.

"It's still haunting you, isn't it?" a softer voice asked. The only relief from it was that she hadn't been exposed to the horrors visually. Even still, he had an idea she'd understood and lived through it well enough from where she was, especially due to the way she'd made it out alive. Swallowed alive... It was frightening just to _think_ about.

"I suppose that I kinda... Yeah, maybe a lil bit," Isabel murmured, burying deeper into his grasp. "I just don't know exactly what happened, n' somehow that frightens me more than knowin'- it was one mission, an' when we got back, I could barely find a familiar face in the fray. I'm just glad that you, Big Bro and even Hanji made it back..." Her teeth gritted into a grimace. "I though at first ya'd been one of the voices screamin' out n' begging for mercy... When the fog separated us all, I thought I'd lost ya..."

By that point, her little body was shaking, choking back tears forming in the corners of her eyes. The heavy sound of the rain only made her more and more nervous, grip tightening around him even more strongly with every cry of rolling thunder, squeezing her eyes shut a little tighter each time the lightning flashed across the skies.

"It's alright, Isabel- I'm right here. You don't have to worry about that right now; after all, we're both safe from those goddamn Titans, are we not?" Despite his overall calm demeanor, it wasn't difficult to sense the alarm rising up from somewhere deep within him. "I was afraid the same had happened to you as well, to be honest- I didn't see you or your horse anywhere, and I thought Levi wasn't telling me something... Even if it wasn't the most pleasant thing to discover, it was much better than finding you dead..." A sickly shudder animated his own body for a moment at the thought. _Damn, I'm sure this rain isn't helping either of us at all..._

For a moment, he could feel her calming down for a moment, then speak up in a much softer voice, one he'd never think would hear: "I just wanna get away from this fuckin' storm... I don't wanna hear it any longer..." There was a bit of subdued ferocity in her voice for a moment, sinking back into this new tension she seemed to feel.

Farlan could feel his breath catching in his throat- there wasn't much of a way to exactly get her away from it; after all, castle walls would only block it out so well, and the underground prison rooms they'd known of wouldn't serve well at all. The antidote for such thickly pained emotions still seemed opaque, unsolvable... Though it seemed she had some clue of how to calm herself. "Did you... Have something in mind...?"

A cautious hand took out a pair of vials from the pocket of her military jacket, setting them at her side. She distanced herself a little from him, pointing a firm finger at his chest. "In there, maybe?"

"What?!" His voice barely came out as a squeak. There was no description that could fully depict the expression of complete and utter horror snaking across his face. The look in those amber eyes was one that appeared completely frozen, shocked, thoughts temporarily delayed. Frozen- that was all that could be mentioned to try to pinpoint the expression. Frozen and terrified. No, she couldn't possibly be serious. And yet, it seemed as if she was. 

"Ya?" Thick brows furrowed at the sight of his reaction, sighing in slight disappointment. "I know it isn't exactly... Y'know... But I know s'alright at least. I remember back when it kinda had'ta happen that I didn't feel all that bad. I mean, it's not like it felt amazin' or anythin,' but it was a lot harder to hear the rain n' everything that was goin' on outside... I guess it kinda felt... Safe."

The truth of the situation was one thing, though _feeling safe_ was part of it? He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing... Shaking hands removed the bottles on the floor, nervously looking them over to figure out what she was asking in its integrity. 

"Though are you sure it's worth it?" Even despite the fact it'd been clear her life had been saved before in such a manner, it seemed a little... Extreme to him. Maybe it was more or less soundproof from what he'd heard, and yet there were other factors that tied perfectly into his pure unease. How long would she be safe so deep inside? Then again, she'd never been, per say, the most "normal" person he'd known- almost the polar opposite. "I-I mean, isn't this supposed to be used for emergencies onl-" 

His line of thought trailed off significantly at another glance towards the redhead. Azure eyes dilated slightly, moth agape only slightly. He couldn't help but grumble a little to himself- he knew exactly what she was trying to do, and he was hoping more than anything that he wouldn't have to look at that face much longer. Even if he never showed it, even despite the little quarrels they'd get into from time to time, he never really meant anything by it. With all of those little details out of the way, it wasn't all that hard to tell he was a little... Soft for the small redhead, and even she knew it, using it to her advantage where she saw fit. "Come on, don't give me that look..." That look... It was difficult to get around the look she was giving him- nearly impossible.

A crack of lightning split the sky in two, flashing a heavy glare on the pair even from within their shelter. He could feel her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, feel the shivering of her small form against his chest. "C'mon... I promise it's safe... I can't sleep like this, anyways." A slight, nervous grin spread across her face. "Ya don't have'ta worry 'bout it, Far."

Farlan's eyebrows raised slightly, looking down with a more curious sort of gaze. "Are you positive this is a good idea....?" 

A small nod met his apprehensive inquiry. "Quit worryin' ya dumbass- I promise I'll be alright." And just like that, her general aura had returned.

The man gritted his teeth, trying hard not to succumb to his anxiety. "If you're absolutely positive..." Cautiously, he removed one of the vials from the palm of her hand. "And this is the one he used to shrink you before...?" 

A small nod met the man's nervous question, gritting his teeth slightly at the feeling of the smooth bottle. It was strange, really, to see the amber liquid inside and understand exactly what it was intended for, to believe he'd given into such an absurd, vile request. How could he ever...? And yet, it seemed that there wasn't much he could do at this point- he'd acquiesced to her suggestion, hadn't he? But why he couldn't quite understand. His mind more or less absent, he uncorked the bottle and allowed a couple drops to drip down onto her head... _It's not as bad as it seems- if Levi could've done it, surely I can as well..._

It wasn't long at all until he could feel a sort of strange, tickling sensation on his leg, looking down to see none other than the redhead once again. It was more than strange to him to see her in such a state, looking almost... A bit too innocent for the world they lived in. It was true she was more than capable of handling herself in the end, though it wasn't uncommon for her to bite off more than she could chew. It was a habit she couldn't quite help, and it always got herself into trouble... Trouble they normally had to get her out of. But even still, it wasn't normally anything they had all too much difficulty fending off- and it was worth it every time if it meant keeping her safe. Perhaps this was a sort of keeping her safe as well, and yet... 

Something seemed wrong about it. He'd seen the horrors Titans subjected soldiers to, tearing them limb for limb until blood leaked from the places they used to be. It did indeed feel very wrong to, after witnessing such a sight, feel less than a little apprehensive at best from the notion of devouring another person... Especially someone he cared about so deeply. It was so deeply embedded within his core that he just had to voice it, just had to mention it to get it out of his head. "Y-You're positive this is a good idea?" he repeated, shuddering a bit.

By now, Isabel had already gotten up to one of his outstretched palms, resting calmly against one of his seemingly massive fingers. It was odd to look up and see all that tension even when he was a thousand times larger than her, and yet it felt more reassuring. Even if he was fifty times her size now, he was still the nervous man she'd always known him as. "Like I said, it's safe- ya don't have'ta worry as much as ya've been. It'll be alright, y'know." She could feel those amber eyes shift away from her nervously, feeling a shaking hand cautiously lift her up to his mouth.

A cautious stare at the purple liquid in his hand made it all the more clear- yes, this had been the same stuff Levi'd talked about using during the explanation they'd had after the day of the massacre. It was better to down a little before, and then a little during- wasn't that how he'd done it? Surely that was the safest way, really- to neutralize everything and then set the immunity on the one who needed it, and so cautiously he took a sip of it. It tasted foul, like some sort of rotting fruit mixed with vinegar, a look of pure and utter disgust immediately spreading across his face. Even the serum that kept everything from going downhill was vile... It figured. Though better it taste foul than to have none of it at all. Then cautiously, he opened his mouth just enough for a decent view, cringing slightly as he brought her forward. "Alright, then... Whenever you're ready..."

There was that same feeling all over again, minus that feeling of sudden betrayal beforehand. Isabel's cyan eyes darted from his own anxious ones to the space before her, climbing up just a little to get a sense of it. Being so close, she could feel each and every breath blow over her shrunken form, smelling vaguely of Survey Corps rations and the slightest tinge of alcohol they'd stolen from time to time. Getting a little bolder, she could look over into his awaiting jaws, from the arch of teeth to the slick tongue outstretched almost to greet her, the soft, almost velvety insides of his cheeks and deep, slimy gullet all the way back. A normal person would've been intimidated, and if she was honest with herself it was a little shocking even then. And yet not so much to throw her off. No, she knew it was safe, and so it was difficult not to find herself reaching out for the tip of his tongue at the sound of the next clap of thunder, landing face first on the slick muscle and brushing away the slime the best she could.

The conflict became apparent in less than a second. It felt so terribly wrong, to allow her to go down somewhere so... So cruel, really, to a graveyard for whatever meals or whatever else made their way inside. But the strangeness was undeniable, for somehow it almost... There was something about it at the moment that almost felt alright about the situation. Even despite his rampant pessimism, a trait he couldn't ever seem to force out of his mind, he couldn't stop himself from feeling as if he really _was_ doing something helpful. He could feel her shifting around a bit inside, calmly and unaffected for the most part by the situation. That and- oh, he felt like a monster more than ever just acknowledging it mentally- it was difficult to deny the prominent, delectable taste she held; something like strawberries bathed in sugar and cinnamon. Attempting not to drool slightly was quite a difficult feat, feeling awful at the notice of the excess saliva dripping and drizzling onto the poor girl within his jaws. _Damn it, why this...?_

Though she paid no heed to it. The slick inner walls of his cheeks did provide more than enough coverage from the storm, even if bits and pieces of it still remained. She could feel the drizzle of saliva hit her squarely in the face from now and then, grumbling quietly at it but not saying a word- after all, nobody said it wasn't messy to take refuge in a place like that, and by doing so agreed to that almost as a rule. It wasn't the best feeling, and yet it was all the same... Even if he was a bit of a goof as far as she was concerned, she knew Farlan would never try to hurt her in the end, and just the same as Levi do everything in his power to keep her safe. 

It wasn't until the liquid poured in after a couple minutes in hushed darkness that she knew exactly where it was going, allowing the currents to carry her down once more. 

Farlan tilted his head back and swallowed thickly, shuddering a bit at the notion of what he'd just done. Yes, even if it was safe, it was still horrible to overthink, disgusting to know exactly where she was heading. In one small gulp, he could feel her small form descend down his esophagus without a single smack or struggle, not fighting it at all- strange behavior for someone so feisty. With each and every second of it, he could tell exactly where she was, feeling a small bulge slip down his neck and down past the small ribbon around his neck, where she disappeared entirely from sight and yet not from feeling. Even deep within his chest he could feel her presence, shifting slightly towards the end of that fleshy tube, and then suddenly becoming less noticeable for a moment... Though only a moment. A couple seconds later, he could feel a soft yet notable nudge deep within his chest followed by a few resonant gurgles and groans, shutting his eyes and hoping it would stop...

Curious blue eyes looked around her surroundings. Just as before, there wasn't a thing she could see, all pitch black and only able to be felt to be understood. It was a little different this time, though. The presence of the deep blackness wasn't as definite as within the other man, and while it was roughly as dark as before it didn't feel as, well, ominous in nature. A hand rubbing its way across the slick walls found that they were far smoother than Levi's, and the folds closer together around her. Heck, it seemed even the acid content (even though it didn't matter all that much due to the fact it was completely harmless) was less present, relaxing her even more.

As for the rain... It was practically nonexistent. Somehow it seemed Farlan's belly was even more soundproof than she'd expected, allowing the rumbling skies to sound far more like the soft _pitter-patter_ of distant rain. And it was soft as well, perhaps even more so than anything she'd ever felt- it was almost silky somehow, with the smooth, slippery surface all around her, enveloping her entirely and making it feel as if she was the only one around. And the best yet most frightening thing was that no one would ever know. No one ever had to know what's happened, nor would they unless they'd caught sight of the actions of the two thugs unaware.

"Are you positive you're alright in there?" It sounded strange even to him- how on earth could she be okay in a place like that? Surely, something would happen; either the serum would wear off or he wouldn't be able to cough her up... And yet, it seemed that somehow the redhead still remained calm as could be. It might've happened once before, and yet he'd never expected to feel the way he was. His anxiety was still a wreck, playing with whatever bits of his sanity it could grasp and coiling around his brain to keep him from relaxing. And yet... And yet... He felt as if it was getting better. 

At this point in time, whatever anxiety he was trying to hide was more obvious than ever before. Yes, it was true that the fleshy "cavern" was filled with the various bubbling, fizzling, gurgling ambiance of a stomach somewhat at unease from the serum that'd kept her alive, though it appeared that from this location she could also hear a couple other things; a couple swallows of air to keep her from suffocating; the shaky, perturbed inhale and shuddering exhale; but most of all that fearful heartbeat, pulsing and pounding resonantly somewhere not so high above her. 

Of course he was getting like this; even if he seemed like any other level-headed guy, Farlan never seemed to be able to relax himself and allow his worries to pass. Now was a time like any other, though for once it seemed as if his worries were all the more legitimate... If not for the liquid alongside her. Sighing a little, the tiny girl sat up, making her way over to one of the smooth walls once more, kneading and shoving lightly at the muscles, massaging into the thick tissues in circular stokes. "I'm alright, Far- just relax a lil, alright? Won't do any of us much good if yer all flipped out..."

Not much longer passed until an alien, peculiar feeling resided from within, feeling her shift a little inside and feel around the nearly hollow space. What felt like a couple ticklish strokes met his stomach walls, unable to hold onto the fear all that much longer- if Isabel was able to remain just as she was, without a single scream or shout, then surely it couldn't be all that bad... "If you're absolutely positive..." A heavy, shuddering sigh escaped from within him, correcting his off-kilter breathing pattern at her words. "Just... Just tell when you want out..." His thoughts broke off as he felt her stretch a bit from within, making a sound that sounded like a yawn- goodness, was she really _that_ comfortable?!

Indeed so. Wrapped in what felt like a warm, comforting hug, she couldn't help but feel a bit drowsy- besides, it was the middle of the night or crazy early in the morning- of course she was exhausted, and the surrounding temperature didn't make it easy to resist. Comfort rising, she gradually sunk into the thick blanket of flesh, allowing the walls to sink around her. All the noises aside from the slightest rumble or softest gurgle had died off, anyways, leaving her with that same reassuring throbbing of the massive heart only a little bit above her head. "Ay, Farlan?"

Amber eyes opened more significantly at her inquiry- was everything still alright? He couldn't sense any sort of pain coming from her, though it was unnerving thinking about it even still... "Yeah?" He could feel her shifting around less and less the more time went on, almost as if she'd finally found a spot to curl up inside his stomach... Even still, it was difficult to get used to.

He nerves were practically seesaws at this point, teetering back and forth from calm and collected to nervous and terrified. Just listening to his heart rate proved that well enough, sinking back into the limited, dormant acids and deciding to pay less heed to it- she knew well enough at this point that he wasn't always the easiest person to calm down. "Ya don't mind if I rest a bit, do ya?" 

She could hear his taken-aback stuttering already, listening sleepily for a response. "Y-You mean... In there?!" 

"Given ya don't mind, that is. I just thought... I could probably get a lil bit of shut-eye while everythin's quiet an' all..." It still felt weird to hear that small voice inside him, though he was growing adjusted to it a little more than earlier. She was right in a sense- it was indeed rather quiet from what he could hear, only unnerved by the rarest growl deep inside whenever his stomach wished to remind him the tiny redhead wasn't exactly the most satisfying thing; not as if he paid it any heed. She was his companion, anyways, not a mere scrap of food (even the thought of the alternative made him mad with worry). Lying down carefully on his back, a hand absently pressing itself against his chest. Maybe it was absurd, though if it meant she was safe and comforted, it couldn't be all that bad... Could it?

"Alright then," Farlan sighed, doing his best to get comfortable as possible for the moment. "I'll probably be up for a little while longer, though you're welcome to rest up for a little while." He couldn't risk going to sleep himself, no- doing so could lead in her suffocation- or worse. Every so often he'd send a swallow of air down to her, to keep her breathing the best she could, and so far it seemed to be working. She wasn't in pain, she wasn't afraid, not even the slightest bit anxious so it seemed. And overall... She trusted him with her life. Perhaps it was strange how she'd been so calm about being gulped down, and yet it felt almost... Special in a way. Out of everyone she could've trusted to do so, she'd trusted him the most. He kept this close to his mind as he lay there, restless, until he felt the last of her movements settle down to the occasional rolling over from one side to the next, until her last words evaporated into quiet murmurs and that surprisingly loud snoring. Maybe, just maybe, things would be alright. "Goodnight, Isabel."

But how was he going to explain all this to Levi if he found out? Oh, he had a couple ideas...


	3. Give It A Rest!

Heavy eyelids drooped down at the sight of the work in front of him. The night had already faded to an almost pure violet hours ago, speckled with pale stars across each and every inch. How long had he been up working on those plans, again? He'd lost all sense of time, feeling his mind cloud with the strain of all the numbers and positions to assign... Perhaps it'd been mercy- an honor, even, by many people's standards- to overlook the plans at hand and decide on which ones to alter; needless to say, nothing easy. A couple more bothered grumbles and the crumpling and unfolding of papers had him just about falling face-down on the stack in front of him, shutting his eyes for only a moment...

"Yer still here?!" Amber eyes jolted open with a start, revealing the sapphire eyes of none other than his redheaded companion. "Geez!"

A hand swiped the loose strands of his hair off his forehead, giving her a small, pointed glare. "Why are your even up at this hour, idiot? It's not like you need to rub it in my face that you've completed your bit of the job for now." He was still struggling to keep his eyes open, sighing quietly before picking up yet another piece of paper in hopes he could make heads or tails of it. "Can't you see this isn't a good time to disturb me? I'm busy right now, Isabel."

"I wasn't gonna come wandering in here if ya were back in our room, you know. If ya'd been sleepin' I'd have left ya alone, but this..." A small, slightly devious chuckle passed her lips. "Ohh no... I am not gonna see you workin' this late at night!"

"Well, you can quit worrying about me- I'm almost done, and I'll be up to see you in an hour or so. Ive been plowing through this for a little while and I'm almost at a place where I can stop, so if you'd leave me be for a while so I can continue-" His voice broke off as he saw her pull up a chair, innocent irises gazing up at him expectantly. Great- so she was pulling that trick with him, was she? Well, it wouldn't work with him, not this time. It didn't matter how far back she scooted, making that horrible scraping noise the whole way in certain hopes of distracting him; he wasn't going to give her anything to work with for some time. He was determined to get through with his work, picking up a pencil and sketching out another formation idea on a separate piece of paper.

"Whether ya wanna admit it or not, ya need a break, Far. I'm not gonna see ya work yerself to death like this," Isabel grumbled, sitting further back in her chair, an annoyed expression spreading across her face. "Whether Erwin wants it to be like this or not, honestly- since when did ya give a damn what he wants? It ain't like ya." 

"If we want to stay on the surface, we all have to work for it," Farlan growled in response, unfolding a crumpled paper and trying to make sense of it once more. "I'm aware you've been doing your part helping out the younger recruits with Shardis's help, though the rest of us aren't as easy off with our occupations in the Corps." Farlan decided it was best to give her a few solid facts to mull over before finishing up with his planning. Just a couple more plans... Once he'd finished with the stack he had, he'd go to sleep for a while, maybe an hour or two...

"Aw c'mon- have ya ever tried to corral those guys?! It's insane! So what, it's been five or so years since we had'ta deal with the trainin', it's tough on even us instructors!"

"I've spent my life keeping you out of trouble- don't you think that's enough? You're a pain in the ass, Isabel. Let me get my work done for a bit longer, and then I'll take a small break. I promise, alright?" From his position he could hear her sigh loudly, kicking her feet out with an audible _clack_ from her boots. 

"Ughhh! You've been sayin' that for days now- when are ya gonna give it a rest...?" 

"Soon," Farlan snapped half-heartedly, feeling the heat emanating from his tense form as he looked over the papers once more. "You're not helping me get this done by complaining anyways, idiot."

He could hear the chair she was sitting in creak backwards, propelling the redhead forwards with a disturbing amount of force. "That's it!" Even from his location he could feel the annoyed energy bursting from her, practically feel her breathing down his neck from a few feet away. "I'm tired of waitin' for you to take care of yer own health, and if it means I make ya take a break, I will!" He could hear the clang of something glass from behind him, followed by a couple small gulps of some sort of liquid. While he tried not to show it, he was curious; what ever could she be up to...?

"I wouldn't have'ta do this if ya'd just take some time away from all those goddamn papers..." Her voice was getting closer, feeling it almost ringing in his ear. One hand pushed him away from his seat, trying to pull him away from the paperwork in front of him.

_Damnit, Isabel, what the hell are you doing...?_ At this point, he'd admit quietly to himself, a small snake of worry was indeed traveling up his mind and into his general consciousness, especially after he felt something... Dripping down his hair. Sighing angrily, he reached up to pull out the liquid, only to find a couple amber strands dangling from his fingertips. _No, it can't be..._ It felt as if there was some sort of queasy feeling taking him over, a sort of dreadful feeling as if he was being stripped of his current size, almost as if he was... Shrinking. Cringing, he closed his eyes and allowed the feeling to pass, refusing to open them until he finally felt the sensation stop... Only to find a pair of massive cerulean eyes staring down at him, an almost curious look upon her face.

"I told ya I was gonna have to take it a lil further if you didn't quit your work an' take a bit of a respite, didn't I?" No, it wasn't anything about her demeanor that frightened him, only the notion of what it might mean. From what he understood, she was indeed going to try and keep him from getting anything done, and yet at the moment that didn't seem like the worst part. What exactly did she have in mind? Oh, he could only hope it wasn't the first thing to come to his mind...

"Don't you think this is a bit extreme, Isabel?" Farlan squeaked, attempting to climb back up to the desk before him. "I-I mean, I appreciate the favor, though I just wanted to get this last thing finished up wi-" He froze the moment he saw her open her mouth relatively wide, instantly understanding what she'd intended all along. "Isabel...?!"

Even with the difference in size at hand, she could practically feel the anxiety he was dripping in. She knew well enough he was prone to fright, and yet, it seemed as if that might encourage him not to wait so long to take care of himself for a change. Did she feel guilty about it? Perhaps a little bit, though surely without some sort of incentive he wouldn't even think about quitting with his work more frequently. "C'mon, y'all be fine! I'm not gonna hurt'cha, don't worry," Isabel sighed, carefully locating him with a finger and scooping up the two-inch-tall white-blonde.

"There isn't any way to make you change your mind, is there...?" At this point, he was regretting his reluctance to step aside from his work, still more than somewhat stunned by the redhead's "solution" to his stressfully overworked hours.

"It's really not that bad, I promise," Isabel replied, tone filled with enough empathy to relax him somewhat. "An' remember, I've been in yer place twice before, so ya don't need to fret over bein' in any sorta danger."

_If I'd have just relaxed for a little bit, then this probably wouldn't be happening..._ "Fine. Just... Don't mess this up, aright?" It was a nearly fatal mistake to argue with her when she still had a bit of those serums with her, it seemed, sighing slightly and trying to look between her fingers to see what he's be up against.

The majority of what he could see was obscured by a deep shadow, though there was enough to get the picture of the place, scrambling up to press against one of her fingertips with a pounding heart as he continued to view from afar. The very sight of those sharp white teeth made his gut twist with dread, shuddering for a moment before shaking the thought out of his head. As annoyed and, truthfully, terrified as he was at the given moment, he knew well enough Isabel meant him no harm. From the location he was in, he could feel her hot breath wash over him, sweet-smelling and reminiscent to all the candies and other confections she'd stolen (a habit she still couldn't break yet). 

But the worst part wasn't exactly that, though he could feel himself getting closer gradually, examining the copious strands of slimy saliva that hung down from the roof of her mouth to the writhing, reddish pink tongue inside her jaws. It wasn't much longer that he recognized the depth of her gaping throat than he was carefully slid over her teeth, only to be dropped a millimeter or two onto her outstretched tongue, drawing him in. A couple more seconds passed, watching with a bit of fear as her jaws began to close, shutting him in soft, damp darkness.

It was strange to quite register what she was doing. There would be no mistakes made that, despite the strangeness, she was doing all this to help him get away for a bit, though she couldn't deny to herself the peculiarity of the situation at hand. To some, it might be sickening to realize, and yet... Perhaps it'd been for the fact she'd missed sight of all the bodies littering the ground, for the feeling wasn't anything like that. It was true, perhaps, by that night she'd been kept away from it, she had seen some fall before her eyes, though the feeling in of itself felt... Safe to her, almost. Sometimes, she found herself thinking back to how calming, how assuring it was to be surrounded by someone so close to her, kept away from the storm to remain distanced from the pain of the rest of the world. 

It was also true, however, the minds of her and the small figure inside her jaws functioned differently. While she could remain undaunted by several different things despite their danger level, it was more often than not that he took the challenge on with tentative footing. He was the pessimist of the group, sure, though in a way he did (even she'd admit reluctantly) sometimes have good reasons to be afraid... But not this time, no. He was safe, after all, so there really wasn't all that much to fret over... 

Though her thoughts disappeared gradually as a strange taste began to flood her mouth. Running a gentle tongue over the tiny man within her jaws, she could detect some sort of sharp tanginess, mingled with a somewhat fainter sweetness. Yes, it wasn't quite what she was expecting at all, though she couldn't deny that it was a pleasant surprise in a way... But no, not entirely. The notion of what was going on was still more than a bit unsettling even with this strange feeling. _Well, I did warn 'em I'd make 'em take a break if he didn't take it into his own hands, right? I'll just him relax for a bit in my tummy, then spit 'em back out once he's rested for long enough._ That was the last thing that came to her mind before tilting her head back, allowing gravity to do the rest of the work for her.

It'd been strange enough in those few minutes he'd been trapped in her jaws, occasionally swatting away a relatively persistent tongue, cringing every once in a while as it plastered him with heavy spit; needless to say, it wasn't the most comfortable thing, let alone rehearsing the memories such a place brought to his anxiety-prone mindset. It didn't matter how much he reminded himself (and was relieved by the fact that) she meant him no harm; there just seemed to be something strange about a human- not even a random human, but one he'd familiarized himself with over many years- devouring him... It felt... Sick, almost. Then again, he was reminded that only a couple months after that fateful night, she'd requested him to do just that... It couldn't be _that_ awful, then, could it...?

Whatever thoughts plagued his mind skyrocketed as he felt the tongue beneath him shift, heavy quantities of saliva sliding backward and drawing him in that direction along with it. Panicked, he attempted to turn around and grab ahold any muscle or tissue he could reach, though it was far too late to do much. The slick tongue rose a couple inches, feeling the hard roof of her mouth press against his back for a moment, before sending him back with the rest of the slimy fluid. "Isabel, wait! Don't _swallow_ me, damn it!" Though his cry was simply ignored. From what he could make out, a small light opened up from somewhere behind him, barely managing to twist his head around before a vile purple liquid followed after him, splashing against the small space and shoving him down the redhead's winding throat with the sound of an ominous _gulp_.

Whatever he attempted to do couldn't possibly get him back up then, feeling the muscles constrict around him. With the addition of the indigestible liquid and he relativity of their sizes, it wasn't all too difficult for him to slip down her gullet with ease, only frightening him further... In a moment of panic, his hands reached out to try and block himself from sliding down, though it did nothing at all. The snug grasp of the fleshy tunnel was surprisingly firm, ignoring his small protests without much consideration, steering him along down her collarbone with the liquid. At this point, he could hear the small, persistent thumping of her young heartbeat, something that might be deafening at this location if not for the liquid around him. It wasn't long at all, only a few seconds, until that, too, disappeared from an audible range, quieter and quieter until he could feel a space open up beneath him, dumping him into the ravenous pit of her stomach with a small squelch.

The first thing he noticed was a strong yet innocuous scent of various confections the redhead had past eaten and digested over the years, mingled with a tinge of their military rations and a trace of stolen alcohol here and there. Then there was the acid; while neutralized to the extent that it wouldn't harm him, it was more than slightly active, pooling over his pants and boots in a mass of bubbling and gurgling. The tiny man stifled a horrified screech, scrambling as far away from the liquid as he could to one of the walls. A single touch of them found it more than a little sticky, heavy globs of slime clinging persistently to his arm. But aside from that, it was alright... Grudgingly settling against the walls and ignoring the cling of what chemicals there were, he discovered they were surprisingly soft... Not that this eradicated his fears in the slightest.

While Farlan was settling in with the idea of staying in there for some time, Isabel licked her lips happily, swallowing down a gulp of two of oxygen to keep him from suffocating. The small squirms within were a little uncomfortable (not to mention guilt inducing; she hadn't hit a trigger, had she? He just wasn't used to the strange new feeling yet? It was a bit hard to remember that what she'd seen on that night of mass slaughter was entirely different than his experience), though she attempted to shake it off well enough. It did feel strange to be the one to do such a thing, though in a way it felt surprisingly assuring. Just like those few months after the mass slaughter, there was that feeling as if everything was going to be fine- in this case, it'd be _her_ to set things right. "Ay, Farlan... How is it in there?"

She could feel a couple small smacks to the stomach walls, hear what sounded like a bit of his agitated mumbling from deep within. "It's much more bubbly than I'd like, and even more sticky..." It seemed from what she could feel that he'd finally decided to sit down, a small sigh escaping his lips. "I'll live, though." Another pound, this time more pointed, fell somewhat painfully on the thick wall. "Right...?"

A sick feeling twisted somewhere along with him in her gut, shuddering at the very notion of the alternative. Much as she knew he was prone to stressing over everything, this did seem like something that might be deemed as stress-worthy in a way. "Of course- aw c'mon, I'm not tryna kill ya of anything; y'know that! 'Member when ya lemme take shelter from the thunderstorm... Hmm... Four n'a half years ago? An' I was perfectly fine 'til morning, so y'all be fine for a couple hours."

Her voice was far louder on the inside- heck, it was hard enough to work with the volume on the outside- almost unsettling in a way. Though it wasn't even so much the vibrations as the words rumbling from her mouth, unsheathing the blades of newfound worries. "And then what...?!"

"Whaddya mean 'an then what?' Obviously, after that I'm gonna spit ya back up... Hmm, or I might have a small enough piece of string that I could swallow one end of n' fish ya out..." He could feel the surrounding walls shift abruptly as she moved around a little, only causing him to jolt forward, skidding into the bubbly chemicals once more. "What even did'ja think I was sayin?" The realization was somewhat shocking, making her gag just at the notion in of itself. "Nah! Nah! Absolutely not! I'm tryna give ya a break, not stress ya out even more! Ack. Besides, that ain't anything but disgustin'..."

"Alright, I'm glad to hear we're on the same page," Farlan grumbled, pushing stray strands of his sodden hair back up on his forehead. "A few hours of rest would probably do me some good anyways, I guess." Sighing a bit, the pale blonde managed to situate himself well enough, wedging his small form against a couple folds of flesh and, with sheer reluctance, sitting chest-deep in the fizz from the acid-neutralizer serum mixture. "Just, please, try not to move around too much or I'm going to get shaken up in he-agh!"

The walls churned and shook, dripping sticky slime everywhere. Like an earthquake somewhere deep within the redhead, it was impossible to stand or hear over as a monstrous concoction of a terrible creaking and a prominent _glug glug glug_. Sighing became exasperated, trying his best to hide the ever-present snake of worry biting into his ankle. "Okay, what the heck was _that_?!"

Even from outside, Isabel could hear the rather ominous rumbling from deep within. At least she had some clues he was inside there alone, though the downside to which was obvious. "Erm... Don't take this the wrong way, but yer not exactly all that filling... I haven't eaten anythin' for hours even before this, ya see... Heh." The nervousness was more than slightly apparent, teeth clenching with worry.

"That's not like you at all; what the hell is up with that?" His voice lowered somewhat, gritting his own teeth and sinking down a tad bit further into the liquid. "I mean, I'm thankful there isn't much in here-" A hand found the remainder of a couple masticated cherries, feeling nauseated just upon seeing it. "-And yet..." The white-blonde raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me you weren't planning to do this from the start, now...?"

Just like that it seemed everything could be turned against her. She knew well enough that the man had practically worked himself to death at that point and she had to do something... At the time, it'd seemed like a good idea, to allow him to sit and regain his energy, but now, perhaps it wasn't the best decision on her part... 

"I'm actually somewhat impressed how damn far you're willing to go for my health. This is still goddamn crazy, though I guess... I guess I'm touched in a sense." Cyan eyes widened at his words, shocked to believe what she was hearing. Perhaps... Had it been a good idea, after all?

There were few regrets with the words he'd chosen, relaxing surprisingly well for the pit he was in. Each bubbly gurgle and fizzy groan still set him with unease, though it was fading gradually as time went on. It almost... It almost _did_ feel comfortable, just like she'd said... Amber eyes blinked in surprise, startled by his own thoughts. And yet, there was truth in it. The pit of neutralized acid was comfortably warm and just bubbly enough without getting too overpoweringly so; the deep reddish-pink walls were, while still as sticky as ever, plush and squishy. Never outside, either in the training corps nor the Underground nor even the high military ranks they had, was there ever a material as soft and fluffy as that. He could feel the walls shift around him slightly as the redhead shifted and got up, though from what he felt she was extra careful not to slosh him around too much inside her stomach. "I hope ya don't mind if I get somethin' real quick..."

An amber eye cracked open, aware of the reality once more. "It better not be food-based- I don't fancy the idea of more stuff dissolving around me," Farlan responded somewhat irritably before sinking back into the liquid around him. "Otherwise, I suppose it's fine."

"Well, not food exactly..." From what he could hear above the bubbling and gurgling, there was a small _clank_ of something he could only assume to be some sort of china, followed by a liquid making its way into a cup. Yes, at this point he knew exactly what it was, though made no comments for the moment. "More like..." From outside, he could hear her take a sip, able to hear her swallow a bit more clearly than he'd expected (or, frankly, wanted to). "Tea." It was only a second longer before he was met head-on with a splash of the hot liquid, raining down onto him somewhat savagely into the acid below. "Think I remember, ya mentionin', when we stole some of those bulbs and Big Bro made tea out of it, that lavender calmed ya down quite a bit, so... Apparently we have some of that right here, heh, so I thought it'd might help ya get adjusted."

With just a sip or two, the heavy scent of the flower-derived liquid took out all other smells, regulating the temperature to a comforting warmth. Just being surrounded by the tea was enough, eyelids drooping slightly with the soothing scent of the beverage. It was like that strange moment when they'd looked up at the sky, seen the deep cobalt blanket the sky alongside pale diamond-like stars. There was that pause, that silence aside from the whooshing of the wind and the gasps from one another. It'd felt like heaven, and for some strange reason where he was now felt like one in the same. He couldn't help but clucks at her small mention of that one time- heavens, how many of those "one time"s would be gone from both his and Levi's memories with Isabel bringing them up?- and remembering her reaction when she'd first been acquainted to the flower. "I thought you didn't like lavender, though."

"Well... I don't an' I do, I guess. Guess ya could say I don't care much fer the essential oils and all, though   
I can't say it doesn't feel good in my stomach." A hand carefully made its way to that certain place tucked between her ribs, giving him a gentle rub from outside. "Does that feel a lil better, I hope?"

"It's fine, I suppose. Definitely easier to cope with," Farlan muttered, subconsciously sniffing the somewhat musty air around him; the scent was much more pleasant now, even if it was still just slightly difficult to breathe. Contented, much more resonant gurgles erupted around him every now any then, feeling the inner walls shift every once in a while. And then... A new kind of pressure made its way along the soft inner tissues, pressing up against his back all the way up past his head, massaging him further into the dense stomach walls. "How long do you intend to keep me in here, exactly? And are you expecting for me to fall asleep in here or something?" the man inquired, yawning softly.

He seemed calm from what she could hear and feel; that was good, anyways. However, with each word he spoke,he seemed to become softer spoken, almost as if he was drifting off. _Good- he's finally gotten comfortable. Knew that'd help 'em quit freakin' out._ Yet she knew better than to simply assume he was perfectly calm, and naturally this was the first sign of worries. "Well, when was the last time ya had a decent bit of shuteye anyways? I haven't seen ya in our room for three days straight! Don't'cha think it'd be easier fer ya to get some rest while ya haven't anythin' to possibly do? 'S yer choice in the end, but I think it'd do ya some good. An' once I feel ya've gotten enough rest, I'll get'cha outta there. Promise."

"What am I going to do if someone finds out I'm not here, though? Surely, someone is going to get at me for it." It was obvious now that his typical worries were rising up once more now that he felt safe enough to push that tension aside. He always found something to fret over, didn't he?

"Ah'll take the blame, then," Isabel responded somewhat cheerfully, slapping a hand to a higher-up place on her chest. "I forced ya to take a break anyways- wouldn't be right fer you to take the rap when it was my idea in the first place, right?" It was true that she'd kept her spunk over all those years, though as time went on her sense of responsibility had shifted significantly; gone were the days to which she would go about without a care to run off and blame someone else. Now it might've been more prominent than usual. "I'm telling ya, this is why you needed somewhere without distractions... Can't imagine what ya'd be stressin' over if I hadn't gotten to ya first-"

"Alright, fine- I'll quit freaking out!" His impatience was notable, annoyance sparking from the assumed calmness. "Damnit Isabel, every darn time-"

"And... Yer doin' it again..." Isabel responded shamelessly, reaching over to take another swallow of tea while waiting for him to relax himself once again. "I'm telling ya, I've got all this under control. I thought through this one... And alright, fine, ya were right; I was planin' this for a lil while."

"I figured as such," Farlan grumbled, situating himself better into the aromatic pool surrounding him. "I'm impressed, though I'm not sure if that's in a positive of negative sense. This is fine for now, just... Don't do that again, alright? That was truly terrifying for quite a time."

"Y'know, I wouldn't have'ta do it if you'd take more breaks. Long as ya do that, I won't have a reason to."

"Deal." The drowsiness was returning now that his fears were voiced and diminished, a hand absently stroking the stomach walls as he settled back for a final time. Bathed in a benevolent kind of silence, the darkness closing in on him, it was one of those moments where he could look around and know everything would be alright. His eyes were the first to shut, then his mind began to wander, gradually settling in to a deep sleep.

Isabel was right in the end; he did need a nap after all, didn't he?


	4. Back to the War and Strife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Farlan never quite thought he'd have to use the serums again. However, when his new apprentice from the 104th, Armin Arlert, sprains his ankle and is unable to fight, things get desperate and the only way to protect the younger soldier becomes clear...

A small murmur of annoyance rose up from the blonde's throat- of course he didn't like it one bit. It was vile, twisted and sick... But he knew better than to let any signs of worry slip through and past his exterior. Here any indication of worry would be a mistake and no less than regrettable. Not as if the squirming hadn't set him on edge, no- he was more than a little perturbed by this, though relieved all the same as no screams or shouts coming from a certain area tucked between his ribs, so at least there was a good sign. But how was the one within faring and adjusting to this?

For the soldier stuck inside, was hard to see anything in there, and the pungent scent of foods long gone only sent a chill up his spine. Strong, muscular walls held the tiny soldier captive, rhythmically matching the strategist's breathing; caving in on him with every inhale, expanding with each exhale. The surface of the walls found them surprisingly soft- almost inviting -if not for the vile mucus membrane keeping them from digesting themselves. The pool of acids, while neutral, gave him all the more unease... But his nerves evened out a bit more as time wore on, making him squirm and struggle more and more in spite of his better judgement, trying to get at least a bit more comfortable.

He was in a stomach, after all, and he'd agreed to this. No one said it was going to be comfortable. By giving his consent he'd essentially signed the pact in blood.

A low groan of hunger erupted from within, audible enough even from the outside to make the older man cringe. Nothing about this was likable, yet the horrors were far more apparent now. The older soldier was literally juggling life or death here- if a certain serum failed them... He shuddered at the thought. No, he wouldn't let that happen. "Armin, are you alright...?" 

The question wasn't one the boy was able to answer quite yet. Checking for any burns or numb spots discovered not a nick or scratch- much less a burn or anything else that could indicate digestion -but he wasn't able to fully compose himself and settle down entirely. "I... Well, I'm not hurt..." His voice was barely a squeak, almost inaudible from where he sat motionless. Hell, it was difficult not to cry a bit from the stress it caused him, though he held out the best he could regardless. After all, his mentor had just as much fear as he; one slip up and he'd be dead. "H-How's it looking out there, Farlan...?"

Cerulean eyes glanced around some at the mob of titans off a little ways in the distance, looking somewhat disturbed by the array of pain that overcame the landscape. "It's better than some of the missions I've been in, but not that well off..." Once again he could feel those slight movements from deep within, making it difficult to concentrate on anything but that area of his chest. That sickening feeling was returning, especially with every gurgle and growl he could feel emanating from there.

"But kid, it's going to be a lot harder to get out of this mess if you keep wasting your energy like this. I know it's hard, but... Just try to settle down a bit so we can both make it through this. I have high doubts you're in any danger."

Even if the message was pointed, the man's voice came off softly, like a parent guiding a child. In a way, it was true, perhaps, that this was how the relationship had evolved; from that day he'd been picked as an apprentice to Farlan's role, he'd grown to respect and appreciate the man's presence as a sort of fatherly figure, as a confidant he could turn to for answers when neither of his two companions could conjure the answer to his woes. In this way, maybe it wasn't so bad that it was Farlan to do this... He wouldn't have allowed anyone else, save for Eren or perhaps even Mikasa. But no, Farlan... Farlan did indeed make him feel safe to be around- and maybe even like this in some subconscious portion of his mind. He was literally surrounded by him, anyways. 

But to fully accept the place even still? It was difficult for Armin to do, especially when every rumble and squelch of the surroundings was playing his nerves for keeps. And then there was the mild bubbling of the acidic pool... No, it wasn't calming in the slightest for either of them. "I'll... I'll do my best." At this point even speaking was difficult- oh yes he'd gone about this willingly, but only with fear of alternatives. "If I must ask, though... How'd you know this was safe? You seemed a bit less fearful of it than I." 

Some sort of stuttering passed through the open air, then a halt in the other man's speech entirely. How was he going to explain this to you younger strategist, exactly...? "W-Well, let's just say for now I've come into contact with it more than a couple times before and leave it there. I've seen it and... In some cases experienced how it works." One year from the last instance (to which he'd learned to push his work aside when Isabel stepped into the room as a result of) and it was happening all over again to yet another person he cared deeply about. He couldn't deny that the bond between them had been indeed reciprocated; Armin didn't mind when he'd get stressed and think the worst of things, no, he'd carefully guide him away from those lines of thought in an innocuous, almost charming sort of way. Yes, of all the cadets he could've chosen to mentor, Armin definitely stood out as the best option for him. And yes, much in the way he would with Levi and Isabel, he was more than determined to protect Armin with his life... Even like this, in this foul, unorthodox way. 

"Just try your best to conserve your energy for now, and I'll see what I can tell you." 

Somehow, to hear this final request echo all around him, soothed the frayed nerves of the younger soldier greatly. Yes, whether he felt like it or not was irrelevant- he was safe and secure- and certainly better off trapped within the belly of a comrade and trusted friend than the belly of any Titan lurking about! The mucus and heavy spit he was slathered in was uncomfortable, sure, but it was survivable, and if his mentor had some understanding of the situation from personal experience then he truly had nothing to worry. Best to make himself comfortable, as he was sure to be in there for a while.

A hand cautioned for a moment to get the various chemicals off his sleeves, unable to help but grimace a bit as they came off in viscous globs at his fingertips. No one said it wasn't messy; though prepared as he was, it was still appalling. Even still there was no refuge from it, but at least it was a bit better- for the time being, in any case. But now that the initial shock was fading, curiosity rose even more prominently...

"Er, forgive me for asking if this isn't the right time, although how, exactly... W-What exactly do you mean by 'coming into contact' with this stuff?"

It was only natural he was asking, and while the answers would probably frighten him even more than the doubt, it was obvious he wanted to know more than ever. Curiosity was one of those insatiable things after all, and for an analytic child like the one somewhere deep within his belly... Well... 

"No, you're not bothering- I suppose explaining is the best I can do for you since you agreed to go along with this. There was a massacre during one particularly bad storm- we were all caught in it -and every soldier in sight was decimated. I got separated from my other two comrades, Levi and Isabel, though I managed to be far enough away from that general area... The other two weren't as lucky, got caught not so far from it from what I understand... The exact same serum was, as it's been explained to me, the only reason Isabel made it out alive." 

Armin faltered for a moment. "You got separated... Just like how we're separated from the others now?"

The other horses were only a small distance away from them now, catching sight of the whipping tails somewhere further off in the distance. "Not quite, kid- we've been following the formation all along even if we're a little further behind than the rest of them. Besides, I can see them from here now- it's not the same as being caught in the middle of sheeting rain with no idea where the hell you are... That's a hell I hope you never have to experience." 

"Did you know what happened to her at the time, though?"

Although he knew the younger strategist couldn't see it, Farlan shook his head.

"Not at all. I only knew it happened after it was explained to me after all that; I remember assuming Isabel died in that storm so many years ago, despite what Levi kept assuring me... But that's all in the past, now- no sense in reliving it.

"I was fortunate enough to only have two direct encounters with both Hanji's serums, one from each side of this whole ordeal. Don't get me wrong, kid- I know exactly how that must feel right now, and I'm terribly sorry about that. If there were any other option I swear I would've taken it, but..." His face twisted into a grimace. "With your sprained ankle, I'm not sure what would've been less risky. How's that doing, by the way?"

Armin fidgeted a bit upon the mention of this, pulling his bandaged leg out of the acids for a moment- a painful reminder of the massive beasts and their bloodlust. The agony surrounding it had lessened- hell, the liquid almost seemed to numb it now; not painfully so, just enough to ease the pain away in a gentle fashion. 

"I think it's healing well enough- think I might've made it worse for a few moments there while I was trying to situation..." A small wave of guilt overtook him. "I'm sorry about that..."

Armin could feel a small sort of external pressure make its way along the wall he sat against, muscles enclosing him in a new sort of embrace. Up along his back it went, massaging carefully into his shoulder blades until the tension in his own aching muscles started loosening up as he heard Farlan speak up once more in that same fatherly tone.

"Don't worry about it, kid- you're fine. Can't deny I did the same thing when it happened to me..."

Armin's eyes widened. "Y-You did?"

Farlan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Why do you act so surprised? Do you honestly think most people could keep calm in a situation like this? The point is, though, you're doing spectacularly- wouldn't expect anyone to be able to hold out that long and that quietly." 

With another quick tug of the reins, the older blonde sped forward, towards the remainder of the ground they'd gotten so far behind. "Don't worry though- you'll be out of there before you know it."


End file.
